Glue set up time/Titebond

[Mike Wilkins]

Got a tricky glue-up planned and wondering about the set-up times for the different Titebond glues. I have been using TB III for everything from general glue-ups to small veneering jobs. Wondering if Titebond I or II would be a better choice. Thanks. Need it to set up slow enough to shift a joint around a little.

[John Schweikert]

Practical info and chart with open times on the three versions of TB wood glues http://www.thewoodwhisperer.com/articles/differences-between-titebond-glues/

TB III has twice the open time of I and II.

[Nelson Howe]

I like liquid hide glue for complex glue-ups.

Nelson

[David L Morse]

For longer assembly times look at Titebond II Extend and Roo Clear.

[Jerry Thompson]

Liquid hide glue.

[Jim Neeley]

If those open times work for you, life is good. If you need LOTS of time, I'll share my experience.

Back when I was young and naive (ok, only naive) I created a workbench 7' long x 36" wide x 5.25" thick by laminating 24 pieces of 2x stock, each 7' long and 5.25" wide I'd cut down from 2x12's in a single glue-up. While I'd not again laminate 24 pieces at once because alignment was a hassle, the glue worked perfectly even though it took me about 1:45 to get everything straight and clamped.

My solution: West Systems #105 epoxy with #209 extra slow hardner (40-50 min pot time / 3-4 hr working time). Epoxy cures by giving off heat, so while the pot time is only 45 minutes, by mixing it in an aluminum pan, keeping the pool thin and spread out, getingt a batch of it applied quickly (15-20 minutes) and making up more batches as I needed, I was still able to move the first boards as necessary during final clampup.

Epoxy is quite a bit more expensive than titebond but if you need the time, you need the time. It's an option!

Jim

[John TenEyck]

If you glue up in stages, almost any glue has enough open time.

John

[Mike Cutler]

Titebond Extend, Hide glue, or epoxy are your more common choices.
Extend has an open time of about 25 minutes.
Hide glues range from 30-60 minutes of open time.
Epoxies can have pot lives of minutes, to over an hour,and working times of 2-3 hours, or more. It all depends on the resin and hardener used and ambient air temps.

[Jim Matthews]

Please elaborate on the glue-up.

There might be a way to stage it, so that
there is less rush. I find that just thinking I can't
make a mistake leads to mistakes.

What are you building?

[John TenEyck]

Let's say you wanted to glue up this cabinet side.

273312

You could try to glue up all 6 joints at once, or you could glue up just the three joints on one side but still put the other components on, dry-fit, to assure a square assembly during clamp up. An hour later, or whatever suits you, take it out of the clamps, glue up the other 3 joints, and re-clamp. Most assemblies can be broken down into smaller glue-ups to reduce the "I gotta hurry up before the glue sets." panic which, speaking from personal experience, normally leads to problems.

John

[Shawn Pixley]

I think with the six joints shown, you could go either way. If it was me, I'd glue that panel at once to ensure squareness. But it could equally be done in two steps. Any more joints it would absolutely be done in two steps.

The concern with too many joints at one time is valid. Even if the open time is sufficient, simple alignment and closing pressure can create issues. Last week I glued up an enrty mat with 42 joints. It came together, but not without a fair degree of persuasion and the help of SWMBO. I was at the far end of the open time of TB III. If I were doing it again, I'd design and assemble it in three pieces.

[John TenEyck]

Actually, I did glue up that cabinet side in one step. I was just using it as an example of how a multi-step process would be less stressful, and how to go about it.

John

[Matt Meiser]

I've used the extend, but I've also used West Systems epoxy which is way longer than PVA glues.

[Ellen Benkin]

If you have many joints to glue up all at once, I agree that epoxy is the way to go.

[Jim Matthews]

If the glue up is only in two dimensions, regular glue should provide adequate assembly time.

I run into trouble with things that have legs, and three dimensions to manage at once.
A computer desk, for example, presents more difficulty than a cutting board even if the cutting board has more glue joints.